Manchester City cut Arsenal's lead at the Premier League summit back to two points as Antoine Semenyo's goal clinched a 1-0 win over Leeds United at Elland Road.
2025/2026 Premier League
0-1
Match Report
Erling Haaland was unable to feature in the city of his birth after suffering a minor injury in training, and Pep Guardiola's side initially struggled without their leading scorer.
Leeds were terrific throughout the first half, pressing City high and creating several good chances to take the lead.
Dominic Calvert-Lewin somehow side-footed wide from a pinpoint Brenden Aaronson cross in the third minute, and the American was also guilty of spurning two good opportunities.
He poked wide from close range under close pressure from Marc Guehi, then failed to keep his composure after being released one-v-one against Gianluigi Donnarumma, and Leeds were punished in first-half stoppage time.
Rayan Cherki threaded a wonderful pass into the stride of Rayan Ait-Nouri, whose centre was turned home on the slide by Semenyo.
City dominated possession throughout the second half, but aside from one excellent Darlow save to claw Guehi's header off the line, they did not create too many clear chances.
Jaka Bijol almost snatched a point for Leeds when he headed wide late on, and tempers flared at full-time as Daniel Farke was shown a red card for foul and abusive language.
Data Debrief: City handle business without Haaland
Since Haaland's arrival in the Premier League ahead of the 2022-23 season, City have tended to handle business when the Norwegian has been sidelined.
They have won 14 of their 18 Premier League games without Haaland in that time (D2 L2), averaging 2.4 points per game and boasting a 78% win rate in those matches.
Haaland (29) is one of just two players, alongside Igor Thiago (19), to register more Premier League goal involvements than Semenyo (18 – 14 goals, four assists) this season.
Semenyo also scored away at Leeds for Bournemouth earlier this season, and he is the first player to score at Elland Road for two different teams in the same Premier League campaign since Robbie Keane in 2002-03 (Leeds and Tottenham).
Leeds and City both had 14 attempts each, but the hosts only hit the target twice compared to five times for the Citizens, who edged the expected goals battle by 1.77 xG to 1.47.
Match Events
0' The match is about to start!
4' Calvert-Lewin misses such a good chance from Aaronson's cross
8' Semenyo smashes his shot way wide as he's offside anyway
14' The game is paused to allow the Muslim players to break their Ramadan fast
17' Calvert-Lewin is close again! He turns Guéhi but watches his shot trickle wide
18' Donnarumma is tested for the first time as he claws Justin's shot out of the air
21' CLOSE! Brenden Aaronson prods wide from Jayden Bogle's cross
39' Donnarumma makes a great save to smother Aaronson's shot
40' CLOSE! Nico O'Reilly's header is kept out by Karl Darlow
47' GOAL! Semenyo opens scoring from Aït-Nouri's cross! Leeds United 0-1 Man City
49' Calvert-Lewin takes a touch but his shot is then charged down by Nunes
62' An opportunity for Marmoush at the far post, but he can't direct it on target
68' Rayan Aït-Nouri scampers back to the edge of the box but thumps his effort over
77' Highlight from Leeds United vs Man City
Line-ups
Leeds United XI: Darlow, Calvert-Lewin, Justin, Joe Rodon, Gabriel Gudmundsson, Ampadu, Pascal Struijk, Jayden Bogle, Anton Stach, Ilia Gruev, Brenden Aaronson
Subs: Daniel James, Nmecha, Lucas Perri, Sebastiaan Bornauw, Joël Piroe, Sean Longstaff, Ao Tanaka, Jaka Bijol, Wilfried Gnonto
Man City XI: Ruben Dias, Bernardo Silva, Donnarumma, Rodri, Omar Marmoush, Guehi, Antoine Semenyo, Rayan Aït-Nouri, Matheus Nunes, Cherki, Nico O'Reilly
Subs: Ake, Stones, Foden, Reijnders, Nico González, James Trafford, Doku, Savinho, Abdukodir Khusanov